Harmful algal blooms occur when algae, which form the base of the ocean food web, grow in massive numbers and produce toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and birds. In this project you will learn how to use archived data from continuous monitoring stations on the Chesapeake Bay to study how water quality measurements (dissolved oxygen (DO), salinity, temperature, pH, turbidity, and total chlorophyll) change before, during, and after harmful algal blooms.
Read more

You might know that lead can be toxic, and that you can get lead poisoning from eating or inhaling old paint dust. Lead is called a heavy metal, and there are other sources of heavy metals that can be toxic, too. Silver, copper, mercury, nickel, cadmium, arsenic, and chromium are all heavy metals that can be toxic in certain environments. In this experiment, find out if one common heavy metal, copper, can be toxic to an aquatic environment.
Read more

EnvSci_p018

+ More Details

- Less Details

Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

The copper sulfate pentahydrate used in this project requires special disposal. Create a disposal plan before starting this project. See the end of the Procedure for more details.

Material Availability

Items will need to be special ordered. See the Materials & Equipment section for more details.

Cost

Average ($50 - $100)

Safety

This project requires adult supervision when handling and measuring copper sulfate granules. Wear gloves and safety goggles when measuring. Dispose of the copper sulfate pentahydrate solutions and leftover granules according to local pesticide disposal regulations.

Did you know that your body needs a certain amount of iron in order to stay healthy? Iron can be found in much of what you consume each day. Almond meal—frequently used in cookies—is just one example of an iron-rich food. However, only a small fraction of the iron in food gets absorbed by the body, partially because the body can only absorb dissolved iron. In this project, you will study whether the acidic environment in your stomach helps dissolve iron. You will use a color-based…
Read more

HumBio_p043

+ More Details

- Less Details

Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

This science project requires an iron test kit, available from [# Link Name="Chem_p090.7" Value="HtmlAnchor" #]. The Time Required estimate includes time for obtaining materials. Actual experimental time is only a few hours.

Cost

Average ($40 - $80)

Safety

The chemicals in the test kit could cause irritation if not handled properly. Be sure to wear gloves, safety goggles, and work in a well-ventilated area. Adult supervision is recommended. The small amount of sulfites contained in the iron indicator tablets may cause an allergic reaction in people who have asthma.

You might not know it, but a lake without algae would be a very dull place. If there were no algae, there would be no small animals feeding on the algae, and there wouldn't be any fish eating the small animals that eat the algae. You might conclude that since some algae is good, more algae is even better, but algae growth has a down side. If there is too much algae, they can deplete the oxygen in the water, killing off other species in the water. What is one culprit that leads to algal growth?…
Read more

EnvSci_p054

+ More Details

- Less Details

Time Required

Very Long (1+ months)

Prerequisites

Material Availability

You will need access to a pond or a lake from which to collect water. Students who do not have access to a pond or a lake might want to look at some of the variations, at the end of the project, which use purchased algae cultures.

Lead is a very hazardous element. Even very small amounts can cause health problems, especially in babies and young children. One way to determine if a household item, such as a toy or a piece of jewelry, contains lead is to soak the item in a solution, and then test the solution for lead that might have leached out of the item. The goal of this chemistry science fair project is to determine how varying the pH of the test solution affects its ability to dissolve lead, which is a critical step…
Read more

Chem_p080

+ More Details

- Less Details

Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

Some chemistry knowledge will be helpful.

Material Availability

Specialty items: You will need a lead test kit, which can be ordered online. See the Materials and Equipment list for details.

Cost

Average ($50 - $100)

Safety

Adult supervision is required. The chemicals used in this science fair project are potentially hazardous. The test solutions contain lead and should not come into contact with skin or any part of your body. It also contains chemicals that produce a strong "rotten egg" smell, so the procedure should be carried out in a well-ventilated area.

Have you seen plankton? I am not talking about the evil villain trying to steal the Krabby Patty recipe from Mr. Krab. I am talking about plankton that live in the ocean. In this experiment you can learn how to collect your own plankton samples and see the wonderful diversity in shape and form of planktonic organisms.
Read more

OceanSci_p010

+ More Details

- Less Details

Time Required

Short (2-5 days)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

Readily available

Cost

Very Low (under $20)

Safety

Requires parental supervision and use of water safety practices when collecting water samples from piers, docks, boats, and shorelines.

Have you ever been swimming at the beach and gotten some water in your mouth by mistake? Then you know that the ocean is very salty. But what about other bodies of water? How much salt do they have compared to the ocean?
Read more

Chemicals from Earth's atmosphere are making their way down to the planet! Not in spaceships, but in rain. The acid rain can infiltrate ground water, lakes, and streams. How does acid rain affect aquatic ecosystems?
Read more

EnvSci_p016

+ More Details

- Less Details

Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

None.

Material Availability

Items will need to be special ordered. See the Materials and Equipment section for more details.

This is a straightforward, fun project to measure the rate of the chemical reaction that occurs when Alka-Seltzer® tablets are plopped into water. You'll track the volume of carbon dioxide gas produced at regular intervals after the reaction begins. How does changing the temperature of the water affect the production of gas?
Read more

In this project, water fleas (Daphnia magna), a semi-transparent freshwater crustacean, are used to study the effects of caffeine on heart rate. Don't worry about having to learn how to take a crustacean's pulse: you can actually see the heart beating under a microscope. Many variations of this experiment are possible.
Read more

Zoo_p048

+ More Details

- Less Details

Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

You will need a microscope for observing Daphnia closely enough to monitor heart rate. Either a dissecting microscope or a compound microscope with low-power objective and a depression slide could be used.

You can find this page online at: http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/search.shtml?v=solt&pi=EnvSci_p014&p=1

You may print and distribute up to 200 copies of this document annually, at no charge, for personal and classroom educational use. When printing this document, you may NOT modify it in any way. For any other use, please contact Science Buddies.